Sign display construction



May 13, 1969 A. w. SCOTT SIGN DISPLAY CONSTRUCTION Filed July 22. 1966 44 Z f% a 5w 1; N m W5 M M N L G 5 n w .y. e W I a a 4 L w 1 z 1 R M M Hw W M M /r W m/ fi P. .|.1W M VT|| ll| H m a w I m 2 m W M J .rfimm m/w/ R 4 fi r. J 4 W L w W" a U W W 4 O 7 3 P fig w 1M5 m W d n ME 61United States Patent 3,443,330 SIGN DISPLAY CONSTRUCTION Arthur W.Scott, 1768 Glenwood Drive, Bakersfield, Calif. 93306 Filed July 22,1966, Ser. No. 567,251 Int. Cl. G091? 7/00 US. CI. 4065 1 ClaimABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE An upstanding generally rectangular hollowhousing for outdoor use, having transparent front and rear walls and anopen side provided with closure and bracing panels foldingly pivoted tothe housing respectively about lower and upper horizontal axes, and avertically disposed display board laterally movable into and out of thehousing through the open side, the board in its outer position beingsupported by the outfolded closure panel and braced by the outfoldedbracing panel, both panels being configured to retain the boardvertically upright in its outer position, the closure panel having asupport leg pivotally connected thereto for supporting engagement withthe ground.

The present invention relates generally to a sign suitable for outdooruse, and more particularly to a sign including a display board movablymounted within a housing, and means for facilitating periodic changingor revision of the material carried on the display board.

In its preferred form hereinafter illustrated and described, the presentinvention includes a vertically disposed housing having generallyrectangular front and rear walls, at least one of which is transparent.Within the housing is a display board, also preferably generallyrectangular in shape, with a display surface adjacent the transparenthousing wall. One vertical side wall of the housing is open, and closuremeans are provided for such open side, desirably in the form of aclosure panel hingedly attached to the housing at the lower end of theopen side for swinging movement about a horizontal pivotal axis. In itsclosed position, the panel extends vertically upwardly from its point ofhinged attachment to the housing, thereby closing the open side of thehousing; and the panel is desirably maintained in such closed positionby a keyed lock, in order to prevent tampering with the sign. Theclosure panel may be swung downwardly to its lower position, extendinggenerally horizontally from the housing, and in such position theclosure panel serves effectively as an outward extension of thehorizontal floor of the housing, so that the display board may he slidor rolled outwardly from the housing, with its outer portion restingupon the upper surface of the closure panel. Means may be provided aspart of the construction for supporting the closure panel in its lowerhorizontal position, such as a support leg pivotally attached to theouter end of the closure panel and, when the closure panel ishorizontal, the support leg may extend downwardly to the ground or othersupporting surface.

The preferred embodiment of the invention also includes means forslidably bracing the upper edge of the display board when it iswithdrawn from the housing. Such means are here shown as including abracing panel hingedly attached to the housing, adjacent the top of theopen side, for swinging movement about a horizontal pivotal axis betweena lower position extending parallel to the open side of the housing andpartially closing that side, and an upper position projecting generallyhorizontally from its axis of pivotal attachment to the housing. Thelower surface of the bracing panel is configured as by a longitudinallyextending groove or the like, to slidably receive the upper edge portionof the display board when the latter is withdrawn from the housing.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to providea novel sign construction including components for facilitating thetemporary withdrawal of a display board from its housing. Other objectsand purposes are to disclose, in such a sign construction, a verticallydisposed housing having at least one transparent vertical wall, andhaving a display board movably carried on the floor of the housing andwithdrawable there from through an open side of the housing; to providein such a construction means for supporting the withdrawn portion of thedisplay board, in the form of a hinged panel which also serves to closethe open side of the housing during normal use of the sign; to providein such a construction means for bracing the display board whenwithdrawn, so that the operator can devote full attention to makingchanges on the display surfaces of the board; and for additional objectsand purposes as will be understood from a reading of the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a construction embodying thepresent invention, with the display board in its fully withdrawnposition.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the sign in its fully enclosed,normal position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line VV of FIG. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a housing indicated generally at10 may rest upon a suitable substructure, such as a wall indicatedgenerally at 12 on the ground 13. The housing is here shown as generallyTectangular in shape, including a longitudinally extending floor 14resting upon the supporting wall 12, vertically disposed front and rearwalls 16 and 18 respectively, and a longitudinally extending top member20. One end of the housing, here the right end, is closed by a suitableend wall 21, while the other end or side of the housing is open, and theinvention contemplates one or more closure members for such open side tobe described later. At least one of the front and rear walls 16, 18 ismade of transparent material such as glass; preferably both aretransparent.

The open side of the housing 10 may be selectively closed by a closurepanel indicated generally at 22 and attached at its one end to thehousing 10 at the bottom of the open side, for pivotal swinging in avertical plane about a horizontal axis 24. As will be seen by acomparison of FIGS. 1 and 4, closure panel 22 is movable between (A) anupright or closed position extending vertically upwardly from itspivotal axis 24 and there serving to close the open side of the housing,as shown in FIG. 4; and (B) a virtually horizontal orientation,constituting in effect an outward prolongation of the bottom 14 of thehousing, as seen in FIG. 1. Means are desirably pro vided for supportingthe closure panel 22 in such lower position, here shown as including asupport leg 28, hinged- 1y attached at 30 to the closure panel adjacentthe distal end of the latter. The distal end of the support leg 28 restson ground 13.

Within the hollow interior of housing 10 there is provided .a verticallyoriented display board indicated generally at 40, having front and reardisplay surfaces 41 and 42 respectively, visible from outside thehousing through the transparent front and rear walls 16 and 18. Thedisplay board is desirably only slightly smaller in length and heightthan the interior of housing 10, and is mounted therein for horizontalmovement in its own plane between an operative or normal position withinthe housing, as seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, and a revision position seenin FIGS. 1 and 2, withdrawn outwardly of housing 10. To accommodate suchhorizontal movement of display board 40, its lower edge 44 may beslidable along the floor 14 of the housing and the upper surface ofpanel 22. Preferably, however, roller means indicated generally at 46are mounted by suitable brackets 47 on the board lower edge 44, eachsuch roller means including a pair of laterally spaced wheels 50 and 51.

The upper surface of floor 14 is desirably configured withlongitudinally extending guide means to provide lateral stability to thelower edge of the display board during its movement, such guide meansbeing here shown as an upstanding rib 52 on floor 14. In prolongation ofrib 52, a similar rib 53 is formed on the upper surface of closure panel22. Rib 53 terminates outwardly at stop member 54 extending transverselyof panel 22 and abuttable by wheels 50, 51 to limit outward movement ofboard 40.

Means are desirably provided for steadying or bracing the upper edge ofthe display board 40 in its withdrawn position, so that the user maydevote full attention to making desired revisions of the materialdisplayed on the board. Thus a bracing panel indicated generally at 60is attached at its one end to the upper portion of the open side ofhousing 10, being swingable in a vertical plane about a horizontallydisposed pivotal axis 62 between its inoperative or closed position seenin FIG. 4 and its operative or open position seen in FIG. 1, supportedon the upper edge of board 40. In its closed position of FIG. 4, bracingpanel 60 lies inwardly of the closed position of closure panel 22. Inthe open position of FIG. 1, the lower surface of bracing panel 60 isconfigured to provide means for limiting movement of board 40perpendicular to its plane, while permitting horizontal movement of theboard in its plane. Such means include a pair of laterally spacedlongitudinally extending ribs 63, 64 forming a channel or groove looselyreceiving the upper marginal portion of board 40. Within housing thelower surface of top member is similarly configured with ribs 66, 67aligned with ribs 63, 64, for the same purpose.

In order to prevent unauthorized tampering with the display board 40,the closure panel 22 may be provided with lock means 70 of any desiredtype, for engagement with housing 10 when the closure member is in itsupper or closed position. Desirably lock 70 is located fairly close tothe distal end of closure panel 22, so that it will be concealed bysupport leg 28 when the sign is in its operative position of FIG. 3.

It will of course be understood that the display surfaces 41 and 42 ofboard '40 may carry thereon any desired intelligence-bearing materialsuch as individual letters forming words, sheets of paper or the like,as suggested in the drawing. Such material and its method of mountingmay be as desired, and no details are here shown in order not be obscurethe invention proper.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an inexpensiveand compact arrangement to facilitate the making of periodic revisionsof material displayed on a 4 bulletin board or the like. It will beunderstood that modifications and changes of several of the minordetails hereinabove described and illustrated may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and all such modificationsand changes are intended to be embraced within the scope of the appendedclaim.

I claim:

1. In an outdoor sign display construction:

an upstanding hollow housing having generally vertically disposed frontand rear walls, at least one of the walls being transparent, the housingbeing open along a side thereof;

a closure panel hingedly connected to the housing about a horizontalpivotal axis adjacent the lower end of the open side for swingingmovement in a vertical plane between an upper position closing said openside and a lower open position projecting generally horizontally fromthe housing;

a vertically disposed support leg pivotally attached to the distal endof the closure panel about a horizontal axis;

a bracing panel hingedly attached to the housing about a horizontalpivotal axis adjacent the upper end of the open side for swingingmovement between a closed position depending downwardly from its saidaxis and an open position projecting horizontally outwardly from itssaid axis; and

a vertically disposed display board carried within the housing formovement between an operative position within the housing and aninoperative position at least partially withdrawn outwardly through theopen side, with its outer portion supported on said closure panel in itslower position;

the upper surface of the closure panel in its lower position beingconfigured to supportingly engage the lower portion of the board forpermitting movement of the latter longitudinally of the closure paneland the lower surface of the bracing panel being configured to slidablyinterengage with the upper edge of the board, whereby the panels intheir open positions cooperate to prevent board movement in a directionnormal to its plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 218,883 8/1879 Hopkins 40-64772,992 10/1904 Wogenstahl 3 12-3 11 1,119,544 1/1914 Schmidt. 1,903,9414/1933 Rasoridge 40124.5 2,102,972 12/ 1937 Phillips 40-64 2,516,1167/1950 Hammond 3l2311 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD CARTER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 10848; 312-311

